Variety (Apr 1939)

Wednesday. April 19, 1989 PICTURES VARIETY U. S. Sm PROBING FILMS RKO EXECUTIVES MASTERMINDING AT STUDIO Hollywood, April IS. BKO execs, headed by prexy George J. Schaeter, opened a series of confabs here today (Tues.) on the 1939-40 product schedule. Indica- tions are the new program will num- ber 44 to 60 pictures. Here from New York for the huddles are Gor- don E. Youngman, of the legal staff, and S. Barrett McCormick, advertis- ing and publicity chief. Final word on the new year's line- up awaits the arrival of Ned Depinet. v.p. in charge o% production. Mean- while, Schaefer is ironing out the details of a deal whereby Harold Lloyd will produce one or more fea- tures for RKO with another player, -sull unnamed, in th» starring role. Another problem focusing ^Schaet- er'a.' attention is the proposal to re- lieve Pandro Herman of general pro- duction supervision on the lot and permit him to devote his full time to his own producing unit They failed to reach an agreement in their recent talks in New York. However there Is Little likelihood of Herman re- linquishing his present contract which has a year to go and gives him a share of the profits on all pic- tures turned out by the studio. Fewer Republic Films Bat '3940 Proi Costs 'May Come'to $9,000,000 Spiorred by a substantial Increase In the number of accounts sold last year when James R. Grainger moved lata the cogapany as president in personal supervision of sales. Repub- lic for the 193B-40 season will pro- duce fewer pictures but increase the budget for fhem by $1,500,000 to $2,000,000. Instead of 60 features as scheduled for the current (1938-39) season. Re- public will offer a total of 50, plus ' four serials, for the 1939-40 semester, ' bjit will raise the production budget to $8,300,000, with leeway for the ■pending of another $600,000, if needed, to bring it up to a maxi- mum of $9,000,000. The company is announcing a total of 26 regular features and 24 west- ems. ' Some of the regular features will cost more than in the past in line with Rep's ambitions to push it- self into major company. Following regional meeting held in New York last week. Rep goes into a two-day sessloa in Chicago tomor- row (Thursday) and Friday (4l). Max Roth, central district man- ager, will chairman the meeting, to be attended by h.o. executives headed by Herbert J. Yates, Granger, Bill Saal and Al Adams. M. J. Selgel, in. charge of production on the Coast, will also attend. Hardy's Tax Rap Washington, April 18. Last-mlnuta scramble to duck ia large tax assessment was engaged in Monday (17) by OUver Hardy, pic- ture comedian. Hardy requested the U. S. Board of Tax Appeals to reconsider an as- serted $46,892 deficiency in hU 1936 and 1937 Income and profits taxes. The Gals Take Off Hollywood, April 18. The Women' rolled yesterday (Monday) at Metro with an all- __Xemme -cast -of-135r- •Top roles are taken by Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Rosalind RusseU ^nd Virginia Grey. STnX A IOFP£B Hollywood, April 18, Irene Rich is back at Warners as lead femrae in the new feature serial, The Hobby Family.' Henry Ocelli also In the cast So British The following letter, addressed to the Paris Herald, appeared In the AprU 4 ediUon of that paper: London, March 30. To the Editor, European Edi- tion; I stumbled upon aii Ameri- can review called Vabiety in my club recently. This publi- cation, which seemed to have something to do with the stage, and which was written in a peculiar form of English, men- tioned that the latest dance' in Paris is called the 'Cham- berlaine.' The review then added: 'It's being done with ah umbrella.' May I ask your readers if this is true? If so, I deplore such facetious nonsense. It will lend nothing to Anglo- French relations, which are complicated enough, without the addition of unseemly . hilarity. Aldershot. Paramoimt's L A. Conventkm; 34 WiD Be Biggies Hollywood, April 18. Paramount's national sales conven- tion comes back to Hollywood this year' after a lapse of two years. Session is slated for June 12-14, with 200 American and foreign delegates convening at the Ambassador hotel. Idea of the Hollywood huddle, ac- cording to Nell F. Agnew, is to give the representatives a doseup of modem picture production. Par has 68 features on next sea- son's schedule, with 34 in the upper brackets, eight in the medium-cost 'A' division and 16 in the 'B' class. Practically all the titles were set at last week's studio huddle but will not be given out until the conven- tions next month. Conferees, includ- ing Barney Balaban, Stanton Grlffis, Robert Gillham, Ed Welsl, Leon Netter and Russell Holman leave for New York over the weekend, pass- ing up the 'Union Pacific' premiere at Omaha. Studio plans to supplement its own stars with name players from other plants for top spots in its 1939-40 product Names new to the lot will be brought into the Par fold by out- side deals and loans. Execs are agreed that the ambitious schedule requires star-studded casts. Meanwhile plans were laid -for the speedy buildup of 14 young players already under contract Campaign includes a nationwide tour winding up at Menio Park, N. J., for the film industry's golden Jubilee in Au- gust Young thesps, to be. groomed are Joseph Allen, Muriel Angelus, Judith Barrett, Louise Campbell, El- len Drew, Betty Field, Susan Hay- ward, Joyce Mathews, Patricia Mori- son, Robert Preston, William Henry, William Holden, Evelyn Keyes and Janice Logan. A sales convention in London, pre- sided over by David E. Rose, will be held May 5-7. Fred W. Lange, Par's general foreign representative in Continental Europe, sails today (Wed.) for N. Y. to confer with John W. Hicks, Jr. RCA Receivership Suit Benjamin M. Colder, holder of 1,500 shares of RCA common; Frank Blum, holder of 107 shares, and Anna Weill, holder of 100 shares, will ask N. Y. supr eme cour t today (W e dnes- day) to allow them to intervene, and join the eight consolidated stock- holder actions against the Radio Corp. St America, Westinghouse Electric, American Telephone & Tel- egraph, and General Electric. Golder's application states that he holds more stock than all the eight combined. The suit charges waste, mismanagement and asks for' the ap- pointment of a receiver for RCA. RESUMES IN FALL Evidence Being Collected on Several Fronts—All the Chronic Peeves Due to Be Aired at This Session W01TA COMPLAINT! Washington, April 18. Motion picture industry will be subjected to another pubUc X-ray- ing, probably in the falli at the hands of the Congressional-Departmental monopoly probers. Economic diag- nosticians already preparing to trace the concentration of business and power in the hands of relatively small number of individuals and to analyze the methods by which the majors have acquired their domina- tion. Evidence is being collected on numerous fronts, with the super- vision entrusted to Daniel W. Bertrand, economist who listed the Ills and evUs of the NRA code in special analysis of what happened while the Blue Eagle was flying. Bertrand currently is special aide to Leon Henderson, formerly NRA head statistician and reported likely to head the Securities' & Exchange Conunission. Witnesses at the Senate Interstate Coifmierce Committee hearings on the Neely bill have been interviewed during the past two weeks, while other staff researchers for the Temporary National Economic Com- mittee have been digging into filed of the Justice Department Trade Commission, and NRA. Bertrand's 'four-year-old review of the film code has been brought up to date and the Darrow. Board criticisms have been dusted off. Tnist, Bestraint Bngaboos - 'While' the Congressional-Depart- mental crew, has endeavored to. avoid witch-hunting, the size and social im- portance of the film industry makes it a natural for students looking for shortcomings of the anti-trust acts. Object will be to see how the Clay- ton, Sherman, and Trade Commis- sion laws failed to check develop- ment of a few huge enterprises and whether there is need for general legislation to encourage more com- petition in aU branches of the trade. No punitive angles, except to the extent that Congress may enact laws under which the Government would exercise closer supervision in the future, possibly by means of a Federal Corporation Act for all firms engaged in interstate commerce. Outline of the film inquiry is being kept confidential, but all of the chronic peeves probably will be aired. Experts are readying to chart the historical growth, linking the evolution of trade practices—notably blockbooking, clearance, talent pool- ing, and chain exhibition—with the development of the business to its present stage. Finances are likely to figure Importantly. Hearings likely will be deferred until the Justice Departrnent suit gets under way, although TNEC will not be able to delay indefinitely, and is certain to go ahead in the event of stalling in the New York Court. Doesn't want to tip the prosecutors' hand but has enough data to go ahead without waiting for the verdict in the big anti-trust proceeding. The bill of complaint is likely to be the text-book. Lbyd-Par Renewal Talk Discussion on renewal of Frank Lloyd's production-directing con' tract-with-Paramount Is occur on the Coast during current visit there of Barney Balaban, Stanton Griffis, et aL Lloyd's pres- ent contract is up on completion of 'Rulers of the Sea.' Will Eyffe, English comedian, who goes into this picture, left for Holly- wood Saturday (15). Charlie Rug- gles, who has been in the east went back on the same tialn. Jas. Roosevelt Reported Soimdiiig Out Alexander Korda on Joint Buy, With Sam Goldwyn, of the UA Corp. Infallible Tipoff Barometer of Universal's bank- ing relations may be the al fresco manner in which U pr^z Nate Blumberg toted company banker Bill Taylor along at the ^dinner given by Blumberg to the trade press editors last week. This -was the film man's return courr tesy for the free feed the news- papermen had given him a year previous, when he assumed the Universal presidency. Blumberg's dinner was at the Hotel Astor, N. Y., last week and banker Taylor not only seemed to enjoy the unconventional an- ecdote of the trade itewshawks, but had a pretty good repertoire of his oWn. Goldwyn Wants 100% Severance From UA Corp. Samuel Goldwyn, according to the essence o'f his latest moves. Is now seeking to break his present contract with United Artists Corp. and has asked the courts to establish that UA has breached his contract Papers in the new suit filed in Wilmington (Del) federal district court last week differ radically from the orig- inal suit filed and withdrawn in New York, In that he now asks the right to terminate his contract. (^Idwyn's original intention was to have the courts declare whether UA had breached hiscontract by permitting Douglas FaSbanks and. Alexander Korda to form new com- panies, which virtually took over all rights and privileges accruing to the- Elton Productions (Fairbanks) and Korda Film Prods., Ltd., companies, and to give him the right to go hack to his original non-exclusive con- tract. If Croldwyn emerges victcfrlous in his latest suit there is every indi- cation that he will break completely with UA and dispose of his one-fifth interest Charles Schwartz, of counsel for United Artists, took another crack at Goldwyn in rebuttal of Max D. Steuer's statement of last Tuesday (11). On Wednesday (12) he refuted Goldwyn's attack on the Internal management of UA and alleged abandonment of 'idealistic policies', which formed the keystone of United Artists Corp. at the time of its formation, by stating that Goldwyn did not object to any change in man- agement policy, when he filed b<s first suit in New York. As to Goldwyn's contention, or in- timation that pictures UA has cpn- trncted for are not comparable with his own pictures, Schwartz stated that Goldwyn is in error and that unequivocally, pictures which David O. Selznick, Charles Chaplin, Alex- ander Korda and others will produce win be of a quality and standard second to none, 'not even second to Goldwyn.' As Schwartz views it and he is unmistakably speaking for the Cor- expected-to- -poratlonr'the-trouble-wrth-(5oldwyn Is that he seems to think that he is the only pebble on the beach.' Other stockholders and the management do not'agree with this thought 'The truth is,' iSchwartz reiterated, 'Gold- wyn is unhappy because he cannot secure a voting trust with himself as sole voting trustee, so that he can completely dominate and control the company's destiny.' London, April 18. One'of the main reasons for ths visit here of James Roosevelt v.p.. of Samuel' Goldwyn Productions, Is said to be a conference with Alex- ander Korda. Aside from bring- ing over 'Wutherlng Heights' for. Ita premiere at the Gaumont theatre April 26, object of talks with Korda is reported to be a new proposition Samuel Goldwyn has for Korda to join forces with him in (loldwyn's fight against United Artists Corp.'s alleged 'acts of mismanagement' Out of these talks may come a re- vival of last year's attempt by Crold- wyn and Korda to buy control of UA. Reports here are that Goldwyn Is prepared to put up most of the financing and to pay possibly an even., greater price for control than $9,000,- 000 the first option called for. Says Sllverstone Murray Sllverstone, UA general manager, yesterday (Tuesday) scoffed at reports that there was a possibility that control of UA might be sold to Goldwyn and Korda. That deal is deader than a mum- my. Chaplin's stock is not for sals any more, and company is in a pros- perous condition, there is no desir* on any one's part to sell out' Sll- verstone said. Korda-PaOos' New Co. London, April IS. A new company, called London Films Export Co., Ltd., has been formed with Steven Pallos as chair- man of the board. ' On the board of directors also are Harry George, representing Denham Securities and Prudential Assurance Co.; Basil Black, representing Alexander Korda, and John Sutro, representing private financial interests. Purpose of the new company Is handling of world-wide distribution deals on Korda Productions, London Film Productions, Finewood Produc- tions and other plx, with Pallos per- sonally handling all deals. Trad* Mark Regliterad POUNDED or SrUB SILVERMAN Publlahnl XTmklj bj VARIETT, lor. Rid Silverman, Prenldent tS4 Weat 4Stb Streat, New York Cltt SUBSCRIPTION Annual tlO ForelfD Ill SIngIa Copies... 2S Cania VoL 134 IM No. a INDEX Bills 54-55 Chatter 61 Dance Bands., . .45-48 15 Years Ago,.... 51 Film Booking Chai't 20 Film Reviews 22-23 Film Showmanship.: ' 8 Forum 63 House Reviews..; 52-53 Inside—Bands 48 Inside—Legit 58 Inside—Music , 47 Inside—Pictures 27 Inside—Radio 37 fnternational News 19 Legitimate 56-60 Literati 31 -Music-, „ „^ ^._4Sr4a. New Acts 53 Night Clubs ....49-51 Obituary 62 Outdoors .'. 63 Pictures 2-33 Radio 34-44 Radio Reviews..... 44 Radio—International 42. Vaudeville 49-51